Santos Dumont 14 bis 1:16 wooden model airplane

MODEL AIRWAYS manufactures kits in the USA, creating distinctive models of historic WWI aircraft from original factory drawings to enable construction of the most true-to-life structural models available.

All construction elements (ribs, spars, engine, frames, cockpit details) are left uncovered to provide a striking presentation. These kits use precision laser-cut wood parts, Britannia cast metal, and brass, enabling construction of museum-quality model aircraft just like the original down to each bolt.

Some of these models have working flight controls!

The wooden model kit for Santos Dumont's 14 Bis by MODEL AIRWAYS:

Alberto Santos-Dumont, Brazilian aviation pioneer, designed and built the 14-bis near Paris in 1906.

This biplane made the very first manned powered flight, publicly witnessed as the first outside the United States and by a non-Wright Brothers airplane. On October 23, after a series of engine tests and high-speed ground runs, Santos-Dumont made a flight of over 160 feet at an altitude of 10–16 feet.

This earned Santos-Dumont the first aviation prize for a flight of 25 meters or more. On the morning of November 12, 1906, the French aviation community gathered at the Château de Bagatelle’s grounds to witness Santos Dumont’s next flight.

Several attempts were made throughout the day. As the sun set, Santos-Dumont attempted one more flight. After 22 seconds, he cut the engine and glided in to land.

He had flown over 700 feet, qualifying for the second aviation prize offered for heavier-than-air aircraft, for a flight of 100 meters or more. This was the last recorded flight of the 14-Bis.

Features and contents of the wooden model kit:

    •    Kit of over 300 pieces
    •    This kit is manufactured with Brazilian Freijo wood and Indian cane bamboo grown in Brazil, the same materials used by Santos Dumont
    •    Engine and mechanical details are cast in zamak metal
    •    Nylon cable stays and photo-etched brass parts
    •    Beautifully illustrated English instruction manual with full-size plans